It's been a while since I've visited a museum; I've procrastinated until I'm in the best shape. I mean a revisit with the aid of photographs and memory.
I've written here before and will do so again about my favorite museum in Bucharest, Romania. It is more than a museum; it is a private initiative that brings together as many exhibitions as possible for short periods (three months). ART SAFARI!
Today I will show you an exhibition that is dear to me because it is about Queen Maria of Romania.
Marie of Romania, Queen and Artist
A was in the most recent edition of Art Safari, which closed on December 24, on the broader exhibition Marie of Romania, Queen and Artist, alongside Women Painters and Sculptors.
As always, I was accompanied by my wife, or rather, I accompanied my wife.
Art Safari is a very popular museum with locals and foreign tourists. It is housed in the Dacia Palace,
A historical building opposite the National Bank of Romania in the Old City.
I was thrilled to meet people who were traveling hard and eager to visit these exhibitions.
A giant photograph of the queen greets us at the entrance to the rooms dedicated to this exhibition...
A panel providing most of the information about the Queen is at the entrance to the first exhibition room, so visitors can view the exhibits with a complete understanding of the history they evoke.
We first learn how long the Queen lived. She was born in 1875 and died in 1938 at 63.
Considered one of Europe's most beautiful princesses from her teenage years, Mary of Edinburgh was the niece of Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Tsar Alexander II, cousin to King George V of England, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany. Source
Among the first exhibits are two paintings of the Queen, one of her adolescence, painted by Tini Rupprecht, and one of her youth, by Pierre Auguste Bellet.
Wedding ring from Maria's silver wedding to King Ferdinand.
Badge with the Queen's monogram.
Vintage photo frame with precious stones and a photograph bearing the holographic signature of Marie, Queen of Roamnie.
The Queen was a woman gifted with many talents. She was a queen attracted to the arts, supported artists, and was an artist and a good painter.
The Queen painted mainly flowers. Her favorites were poppies, irises, and lilies.
We then move to another area of the exhibition.
You must have noticed the darkness in the halls. Each exhibit was individually lit, and the dim lighting caused the poor photographs. I finally found the explanation for that...
"Too dark in here?
The exhibits are highly fragile, some being tens or hundreds of years old, and bright light damages them. Colors and paper, canvas, or wood can fade or degrade.
The illumination of the exhibits is specially measured to protect them because we want future generations to be able to admire them."
Before we continue our museum tour, let's visit the Dacia Palace, which is as spectacular as the exhibition.
Next...
Another of the Queen's passions was photography. King Ferdinand, the Queen's husband, had the same passion. As a result of their shared passion, they took many photographs of the royal family, true testimonies of Romania's monarchical period.
The Queen had six children, three girls and three boys, five of whom lived. They were favorite subjects for photographs.
She designed these photo albums, took the photographs, and made the decorations. Thus, she combined photography and drawing.
Maria of Romania was a visionary and ambitious monarch. With the help of her children, she sought to forge close ties with the other Balkan monarchies and succeeded.
Three of these beautiful children in the photos have become crowned heads: King Charles II of Romania, Queen Elizabeth of Greece, and Queen Maria of Yugoslavia.
All the exhibitions in Art Safari are significant, with many exhibits, and I usually photograph everything. That means I have a lot of material to work with, and I think I take too many photos. Because I don't want to tire or bore those who wish to view this presentation, I'll stop here and promise to write the second part with the remaining exhibits.
A mirror helped me sneak among the exhibits, in the atmosphere of a hundred years ago, contemporary with Queen Marie of Romania.
More about ART SAFARI, for those who want to see:
Art Safari-purpose and place
